Brett Baty. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
The Mets were able to pull out a dramatic victory against the Nationals on Thursday night with several lead changes and a plethora of scoring from both sides. Amidst the chaotic events, the outstanding performance from Mets’ third baseman Brett Baty was largely swept under the rug.
In Thursday’s game, Baty was nothing short of excellent as he went 3-for-3 with a home run and a walk. This marked the first three-hit game of Baty’s young career, and it came at a time when the Mets desperately needed it. Entering the night, the Mets were holding a four-game losing streak, and were in danger of being swept by the National League East Division rival Nationals.
In his first at-bat in the second inning against former Mets’ pitcher Trevor Williams, Baty struck a hard ground ball up the middle for a single.
After Williams was able to punch out Daniel Vogelbach and Mark Canha to start the bottom half of the fourth inning, Baty took the plate in a tie game. Consequently, he quickly broke the tie as he crushed a home run to center field that had an exit velocity of 102.7 mph while traveling 400 feet. This was Baty’s first home run of the season, and the second of his career.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Baty collected another single. This increased his number of hits to three on the night, and it was only the fifth inning. It was the first time Baty had collected a three-hit game in the majors.
In his fourth and final plate appearance of the night, Baty was able to reach base with a walk against Nationals’ relief pitcher Hobie Harris. Baty’s ability to get on base was vital to the Mets’ success in the game as they needed every run they could get with their one-run victory margin.
This quality performance continues the trend of a recent uptick in production from Baty. While he started out cold in his second stint with the team, he has batted an impressive .321/.387/.464 in his last 15 games. In a more concentrated sample, he has a batting line of .348/.423/.522 in his last seven games. Clearly, Baty has been able to answer the call from the fans and the team through his display of hitting ability and plate discipline.
Baty acknowledged this recent improvement in a postgame interview with SNY. He stated, “I’m just getting a little bit more comfortable and the guys have been great. I feel good right now.” Here, Baty offers a perspective that illustrates how it is not easy to adjust to the major league level after excelling in Triple-A. This serves as a wake-up call to Mets fans that are criticizing the early production from Baty and catcher Francisco Álvarez, as they need to realize that these players are going through adjustment periods that may not immediately warrant favorable results. That said, it is important to celebrate their accomplishments and see them as a good sign for things to come in the future.
Baty also addressed the support that he received from his teammates in the interview. In fact, Mets’ star Jeff McNeil offered high praise for the young prospect in his postgame interview with SNY: “I love watching him hit. He’s a very professional hitter.” He also touched on the fact that Baty had a good minor league career, and that he has enjoyed seeing him experience the same success at the major league level.
All things considered, Baty is making it harder for the Mets to continue to produce lineup cards without his name on them. This is heightened by the underperformance of third baseman Eduardo Escobar, as he is batting an uninspiring .158/.197/.333 to start the season. While it is still early in the season, the Mets should prioritize their top prospect that is a part of their future plans as opposed to the veteran third baseman who will likely be playing elsewhere after the season.
